ESPE Abstracts

Abnormal DNA methylation contributes to tumor progression and is emerging as a prognostic marker in several types of cancers. To investigate whether DNA methylation is associated with pediatric adrenocortical tumor (pACT) presentation and patient prognosis, we analyzed the methylation profile of 57 tumors (MethylationEPIC BeadChip Array-Illumina) and patients’ clinicopathological features and outcome. The study comprehended 40 girls and 17 boys, with median age at diagnos...

Background: Impairment of the chromatin remodeling factors ATRX and DAXX and telomeres abnormality play a role in cancer biology, influencing the clinical outcomes. However, their roles in adrenal tumorigenesis require broader investigation.Aim: To evaluate ATRX and DAXX genotype and expression, telomere length, and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), as well as their clinical significance, in primary adrenoc...

Aim: To uncover a feasible tumor expression prognostic signature and potential therapeutic targets for children with pACT.Methods: Tumor RNAseq from 53 pACT children (70% girls, median age: 1.7yrs) was performed (Illumina). Using a robust, state-of-the-art, differential gene expression analysis pipeline, differentially expressed genes (DEGs: adjusted P<0.05 and |log2 fold-change|>1) were identified (DESeq2...

Background: Thyroid hormones are necessary for normal child development. Hypothyroidism, associated with insufficient amounts of free triiodothyronine and thyroxine, may not only cause poor growth rate, but also results in impaired central nervous system development. In Poland, newborn screening for congenital primary hypothyroidism, the incidence of which is reported to be 1:2500- 1:4000 births, has been performed for many years. Secondary hypothyroidism, cau...

Pathway involving insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) plays significant role in growth and development. Crucial role of IGF-1 was discovered inter alia through studies involving deficient patients with short stature, including SPIGFD individuals. Noteworthy, despite disturbances in proper growth, elevated values for selected stem cell populations were found in IGF-1 deficient patients. Therefore, here we focused on investigating role of these cells - very small embryonic-like...

Graves’ disease (GD) is hyperthyroidism associated with organ-specific autoimmune inflammation. GD occurs more frequently in adults than in children, however, pediatric patients are a therapeutic challenge due to cycles of remissions and relapses requiring constant monitoring at every stage of treatment administered. Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered a link between innate and adaptive immunity. DCs as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are involved in antigen presentatio...

Introduction: The precise pathogenesis of Graves’ disease (GD) still remains unclear, especially in the field of immunological aspects. Thyroid infiltration by reactive T and B lymphocytes plays a crucial role in the course of autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATD). Previous pattern of inflammation process was characterized by the presence of two antagonistic groups of T effector or also called- helper cells: Th1 and Th2. Recently, more attention is paid to T...

Introduction: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) become increasingly common in children's population. Pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) bases on coexistence of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers which finally drive to breakdown of immune tolerance. Many mechanisms in human body moderate process of inflammation. While some of them answer for up-regulation, some agents like B regulatory lymphocytes (...

Background: Hyperandrogenism in children is associated with excessive adrenal or gonadal androgens secretion. The most common causes of androgens hypersecretion are PCOS, adrenal tumors, Cushing’s syndrome, CAH, and gonadal virilizing tumors. Within the last 15 years single case-reports of hyperandrogenism in female patients with congenital porto-systemic shunts were described in literature. The mechanism of such coincidence is unknown but the role of hyperinsulinism, imp...

Background: In Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD) two types of TSH receptor antibodies (TSHR-Ab) may be distinguished: thyroid- stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) that promotes the production of thyroid hormones and thyroid- blocking immunoglobulin (TBI) inhibiting the activity of TSH what leads contrarily to hypothyroidism.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to compare mean TSI and TBI levels in large paediatric cohort with AITD and control...